Alien-Nation: Nearly 5 million Brits ‘have no real friends’

Loneliness is rife in Britain according to new research, which shows that 4.7 million people in the country have no close friends, while less than a quarter feel a sense of belonging to the community and one in 10 have no interaction with neighbors.

The Way We Are Now 2014,
based on YouGov polling of more than 5,000 people across the UK,
gives an insight into intimate aspects of people’s personal
lives.

The research by Relate suggests a significant minority of Britons
are living without the intimacy of friends they can confide in.
One cause of this trend may be that people today are more
dispersed around the country and therefore don’t live near the
friends they grew up with.

“There is a significant minority of people who claim to have
no close friends, or who never or rarely feel loved – something
which is unimaginable to many of us,” said Ruth Sutherland,
chief executive of Relate.

“Relationships are the asset which can get us through good
times and bad, and it is worrying to think that there are people
who feel they have no one they can turn to during life’s
challenges. We know that strong relationships are vital for both
individuals and society as a whole, so investing in them is
crucial.”

Better off alone?

Meanwhile, the research further shows a direct link between the
quality of people’s relationships and their wellbeing. It found
that the majority of couples said they had good relationships
with their partners, but just being in a couple was no guarantee
of happiness.

Those in average, bad, or very bad relationships were found to be
worse off than single people, showing that it is the quality of
the relationship that influences wellbeing. Nearly a quarter of
those interviewed admitted to having an affair, and the same
number said they were dissatisfied with their sex life.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed felt money worries put the
biggest strain on a relationship, while a third identified the
pressure to put work ahead of personal and family life.

A separate YouGov poll showed more than half of people in the UK
admit to clandestine antisocial behavior, deliberately avoiding
their neighbors. The most likely reason for interaction with
neighbors is the delivery of an online order, with 57 percent of
people saying they receive parcels for others.

However, 65 percent of Britons believe their neighborhoods would
be stronger if people were encouraged to get to know each other
better. Older people and parents were found to be most likely to
connect, while less than a quarter of 18-34 year olds have
invited their neighbors over for a cup of tea.

While almost half of people aged 55 and over would classify their
neighbors as friends, less than a fifth of 18-34-year-olds would
do the same.